Even while
these words were being written, President Cyril was unveiling the latest set of
stimuli to the country growing again. At first glance they seem different to
the ones he showed us a few months ago – but don’t yet seem either to have been
enacted or had much effect. The first impression of this morning’s list is that
most of them seem aimed at undoing the messes created by his cabinet ministers.
Particularly ones delivered by Malusi Gigaba. Why he hasn’t been sent to find alternative
employment years ago is a mystery. Interesting factoid from Google is that
Gigaba’s actual first name is “Knowledge”. Indeed. The market has already gone
a bit better on this news. Of the stimulus that is. We can but wait and see
Shortly
before dawn on Sunday it will be the Vernal Equinox and from then it will be
downhill to Summer. The public holiday the next day has become associated with
feasting on large chunks of meat that usually are entrusted to the least experienced
chef in the home. He opens a beer and lights a fire. What could possibly go
wrong? The full colour glossy advertisements all week have been very clear about
the outcome of this combination of ingredients. But the reason it’s called Heritage
Day is that before nightfall, many a tong-wielding braai master will have had their
heritage called into question in front of the hungry guests.
And this year
not all the rising smoke will be coming from charred chops. A judge has decided
that its probably OK to grow cannabis at home for one’s own consumption.
Reactions are widespread starting with doubt that he meant what we thought he
said. Nevertheless, stories with the word “high” woven into every paragraph are
widespread. What will result from taking these first steps in decriminalising
what may be one of the nation’s largest illegal industries? What happens to
that huge lucrative network of production and distribution? Those guys aren’t going
to take this sudden hollowing out of their income stream lightly. To whom are
they going to complain? And then there’s the matter of the state’s war against
tobacco – another smokable plant – which has caused massive smuggling of and
illegal trade in cigarettes. As much as R7bn in tax may have been avoided and
must to be “taken back” for the good of the nation. Maybe the government is
even now fashioning a tax on dagga.
In the absence
of a clear education policy which is agreed to by everyone and delivered fairly,
the way is open for anyone with a microphone and an audience to offer their
opinion of what needs to be done to improve things. In the last few years the
following subjects at least have been proposed as mandatory for the already struggling
and under-resourced school-goer: a Chinese language, a local indigenous
language, a non-local African language, history (or a simulacrum thereof) and
then this week, computer coding. Each of these subjects and others have promoters
proffering cogent reasons for introducing them to school children. But even the
richest school struggles to find sufficient teachers and time to expose their customers
to basic subjects like home language, maths, life sciences and physical sciences.
Not to mention the clearly ineffective “Life Orientation” nonsense that snuck
onto the curriculum when it was suspected that many parents were unable to
guide their offspring towards adulthood. For a nation at the foot of virtually
every international education league table, the sole way out is the “less is
more” dictum, a path best taken with baby steps. This week President Cyril came
up with a plan to get people building school desks. What a great idea.
Fortunately,
there is no Test rugby this weekend so we ‘boks’ fan can bathe in the happy memory
of beating the All Blacks at home for another week. Various people will no
doubt try to goad me into reacting about the Sharks / Lions Currie Cup encounter
but to be honest an administration that manages to have at least two teams
called the Cheetahs playing simultaneously has eroded my interest in the game.
James
Greener
Friday 21st
September 2018
